As I have matured and grown older the ability and desire
to ‘please others’ has moved away from me.
Pleasing others is not necessarily the best goal
for others may want or expect things that are not good or positive for us.
We need discernment and wisdom to make good choices.
Pleasing others is different than caring for others
the way I see it
pleasing others is for them
caring for others is for ‘us’ together.
I am not sure what a ‘free self’ is as stated in the above note
but what I am sure of
if we please others and lose ourselves in the process
then we have become the losers in the end.
Learning to be true to oneself is the best gift we can give
to
our hearts
our spirits
and our loved ones.
We do not live our lives alone.
We can love others and give to them with a deep compassion and faith
but within that process
we also need to realize that our freedom comes
when we can say no
this isn’t good for me or to say
I need rest today.
When life gets so busy and we give and give and give
and not listen to our hearts need
then it becomes time for rest
and reclaiming oneself.
Even Jesus pulled away from the crowds and
took time for himself to rest and find strength.
When the crowds pushed at him and demanded of him
he knew his need for quiet and restoration through prayer.
I pray this weeks writings have challenged and given us
something to think about.
Life is about choices.
May we all learn to make good and positive ones
so that we can love and live in a more free and healthy way.
Perhaps then we can claim our identity as a free self.
Love these thoughts and so, so true. I once told my husband I spent 30 years pleasing him, now it was his turn for the next 30 to please me. Just laughing here, but so true also.
This is something I struggle with too…myhusband is always telling me life is about choices.
This is something I struggle with too…my husband is always telling me life is about choices.